Tis Q&A Tuesday, and we’ve got a question from Phillip: “James, people keep talking about polarisation. I’m not comfortable courting controversy and alienating potential customers, but I don’t want to be boring either. What do you suggest?” Well, as someone who’s more squirrel than shark, I get you. But you don’t have to beat your [...]
A question from Eva, for Q&A Tuesday: “James, I’m a brand copywriter. I want to approach some branding agencies and show them how I can help transform their clients’ businesses. So what are the specific benefits, do you think, of hiring a brand copywriter?” Hmm. This is one of those questions that needs a bit [...]
It’s Q&A Tuesday. So here’s a video to answer a question from Ben: “Once you have identified the avatar of the ideal customer, how do you get into their mindset and begin preparing copy and the angle for them? How do you avoid writing it from your point of view and write it from theirs instead?” [...]
I would say “Happy New Year!” But we both know, it’s pointless. We’d be celebrating a spinning rock hitting a random point in its solar rotation cycle. And that’s hardly cause for donning a paper hat, linking arms with strangers, singing a song you don’t know all the words to, then staggering home stopping only [...]
My phone is dead. Long live my phone. It was fine last week. Going about its business in its usual silicon way. Until… It fell through the sofa, and got stuck in the recline mechanism. Ke-runch!! Mrs D wouldn’t let me look at it – “try to remember it how it was!” And so, this [...]
I keep getting these weird emails. Asking me to sign up as an affiliate…to sell funeral plans! As in, “plug our policy and we’ll slip you a few quid!” The word “scattergun” springs to mind. I mean, how would that even work? “Here’s your copy Dave, it’ll make you a ton of money, here’s to a brighter [...]
I’m dedicating this post to the memory of Mike Hughes. (He’s not dead yet. But by the Laws of Darwin, he will be very soon…) See, Mike (aka Mad Mike) – a limo driver from California – is a fervent Flat Earther. One of too many realityphobes who reject the ball earth “theory” on the grounds [...]
The DHL van pulled onto the driveway…and finally, it was here! After 6 months of waiting…repeated delays…this was actually it. I bounded down the stairs like I was 5 again, and Santa had muddled his dates. Sooo excited. See, back in May I ordered this brand new gizmo: a tablet you can write on. A substitute [...]
Have you ever climbed the spiral steps in a medieval castle? Traipsing up to the top of a wonky tower? Well, maybe you noticed this…? The steps run clockwise – always. They were designed that way. So any invader who made it through the ramparts (without getting flayed in boiling oil) was gonna be caught [...]
I didn’t hear the windows in my hall of residence rattle. Didn’t hear the trees getting ripped out of the ground. Even the flying bench that blew a hole in the refectory doors…I slept through it. Heck, I didn’t even twig next morning when I stepped out onto campus! Trees uprooted? I figured the council had sent [...]